Not what it seems
by bsargent
Summary: A few weeks after the events of TLH, Annabeth and Piper share a bonding time over some old stories and recent concerns. Percy may not be (physically) in this, but it is Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

Piper let her bow down with a frustrated sigh, after missing the target. Again. For what it felt like the thousandth time. It was one of those days in which the burden of being a demigod felt too heavy, too suffocating.

In the past three weeks, after returning from her last and, so far, only mission, she was training as hard as she could, shooting arrows and practicing to fight with her dagger until she could feel almost every muscle in her body burn. It was her way of making up for lost time, trying desperately to be more useful, to be more than the stupid ability to Charmspeak. But, in days like this, it was impossible.

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of all the negative, doubtful, scary and insecure thoughts. The fact that every single camper seemed agitated this morning doesn't help in her anxiety. People running around, whispering, creating an atmosphere where it was almost possible to touch the expectations, the plans, the strategies. The daughter of Aphrodite became more self conscious of her inexperience and lack of battle abilities by the second. Even Leo, whom she expect to share this feelings, seemed completely adapt to the new environment, already building a ship/war machine and helping with the preparation like he was always a part of that world.

She gave in, dropping the bow on the grass and sneaking out of the field, expecting her instructor, a son of Apollo, to be busy enough with others campers in order to not see her abandoning the class. She rushed to the bathroom, quickly entering one of the booths and locking the door. Piper sat on the toilet-seat cover and held her legs up to her chest, controlling her breathing until her heart stopped pounding so fast and hurtful, exactly like she did in every school she went in to fight the crushing sensation of not belonging. After a few minutes, when she felt ready to leave and go back to her lesson, the girl heard rushed footsteps and loud voices getting closer.

"… and I just couldn't take it anymore, so I left. It has been 2 days since I showed up to her lessons and, honestly, it was the best decision I have made this summer so far. I am freaking tired of the way she looks like she is carrying the world around her shoulders, always looking to Cabin 3 and never listening to anyone who isn't envolve in the rescue-Percy mission." a feminine voice she didn't recognized said and Piper froze, realizing it was about Annabeth.

"Yeah, I feel you. Okay, I know her precious boyfriend is missing blablabla but she could just hold it together! She looks kinda crazy with that misery face all the time, running around and screaming at every moving thing that stands in her way. " another voice spoke and the brunette heard giggles, unconsciously covering her mouth with her hands.

"This Percy guy must really be a freaking god, to have her wrapped around his finger like this in such short time. I mean, come on, four months? "

"I know, right? She definitely needs to find him, tough. Or else we might miss the war so she could search for him all over the goddamn country. " she heard the two giggling again and felt her face burn with anger. Who does they thought they were? Just when the girl was ready to storm out and yell that, she heard their footsteps and, right after, the sound of door unlocking, coming from two booths to her right. Piper unlocked her own door and stepped out, her eyes immediately meeting Annabeth's stormy grey ones in the mirror.

**A/N: Hey guys! Not exactly sure where I am going with this, especially since I've not wrote in such a long time and never posted a pjo fanfic before. But, in the last month, I missed the Olympians world and read a lot ( A. LOT.) of Percabeth stories, and I always get annoyed when the portrait her like a fragile whipping girl who misses her boyfriend. So, I'm hoping to change this a little bit. It was going to be a one shot, but I was really excited to post and haven't completed yet. But updates are coming really soon! **


	2. Chapter 2

" Have you been here the whole time?" Piper asked, analyzing the other girl. She looked fine, wearing jeans and a camp shirt, her long blond curls in a ponytail. In a closer look, it was possible to notice that her eyes weren't like a thunderstorm that could destroy an entire city but like an autumn rain, a little sad and tired.

" I know what some people say about me. I can hear the whispers when I walk by, I see the worried looks." Annabeth said, turning around to face Piper and not her reflection. The brunette girl saw that the blond had a metal blue box in her left hand and the right one was in her leather beaded camp necklace. She didn't seemed angry or disturbed. " And I am especially aware of what most of the new campers think."

" I don't think you are crazy" the daughter of Aphrodite said impulsively, blushing. Annabeth smiled and her eyes seemed less sad.

" Thanks. Are you busy right now? If you aren't, I would like to show you something"

" Uhmm" she was caught off guard. The daughter of Athena was the one who was always busy, focused in a hundred things at the same time, and the two of them never really had a long conversation. She thought about the lesson she abandoned, that was probably over by that time, and then about the fact that _Annabeth Chase_ had something to show to her. It was quite easy to decide. " No, totally free."

The daughter of Athena smiled and walked out of the bathroom, Piper right behind. They headed to the Big House and the leading girl stopped at the most hidden spot of the porch. She sat on the ground, followed by the other girl, and placed the blue box between them.

Annabeth opened the box, filled with photographs and handled her a slightly wrinkled one, in which there were two people, both wearing laurel wreaths in their heads, with wide smiles and arms around each others shoulders. The girl, despite her young age, was definitely Annabeth, with the same golden curls in a loose ponytail and same penetrating grey eyes, that held a look of relief and amusement at the same time. The boy standing next to her was a few inches smaller, thin, black hair all over the place and a troublemaker smile. When she saw the sea green eyes, Piper gasped, recognizing the kid as the famous Percy Jackson.

"This was taken the summer we met, after our first mission." Annabeth begun, and her eyes were nothing like the storm the daughter of Aphrodite was used to. They were calm, soft. The blonde girl sighed. "He's not just a random guy I just met and fell blindly in love, you know. He held the sky for me once and I took a poison knife for him last summer." She raised her sleeve, showing a big white scar in her upper arm. "We have each others back since we were twelve. He's my battle partner, my best friend. " her voice cracked.

"I had no idea…"

"I know you didn't. That's ok. I just wanted to tell you because we are going to this mission together and it would be really difficult if you had the same thoughts as those girls." she gave Piper a small smile. "I don't mind what they think, but you.. I need you to trust and respect me. We are going to fight side by side and I don't want you to think that my mind is elsewhere because of some dude and.."

"Annabeth." Piper interrupted. " I do trust and respect you. Since day one, actually. You are very determinate, unbelievably smart and loyal. I mean, the way you are restlessly looking for Percy and all those year of training… Neither of us doubt your capacity. _You_ should be worried about _me_! I just got here, my skills in battle are close to none and most of you guys have fought a _war_!" She finished, out of breath.

" Look, I know it's scary, especially since things are changing really fast in your life right now.."

" Tell me about it"

"…but we all started from scratch. When I first came here, I was only 7, and I assure you that it was not ideal in many ways, and it took 5 years for me to go to my first mission. Percy came at 12 and went to his first one just a week later. He also didn't know much, but he had me and Grover. And when we leave again, you will have me and Jason and Leo. " the blond girl gave a gentil smile. " You are a part of this camp now, Piper. And here, we have each others back."

" I can't go in battle to be protected."

" You won't. It's not like we are going right away, you have time to learn. I can help you training, teach you some of battle strategy. I promise you won't be unprepared." Piper finally relaxed and smiled back. She reached for the other five photographs in Annabeth's hand, asking for permission with her eyes. The girl nodded and gave them to her.

"Thank you. I just… I don't feel like myself these days. I won't let any of you down." she turned her attention back to the old photograph. In the next ones, they were older and older, with more scars, the young glow in their eyes decreasing each year. "Did you two met here? "

"Yes. The first time I saw him, he was almost fainting, trying to hold Grover and the Minotaur horn. He was so small and skinny… and he spent a couple of days blacked out, drooling in his sleep. So, it was certainty not love at first sight. - they laughed. - We went on a mission later and we couldn't stop bickering cause _gods he was so annoying… _he wasn't able to take one step without doing something stupid, yet he managed to get things right every time. And he was so focused in getting his mom back and making sure me and Grover didn't get hurt… - her voice was distant and she was looking at the lake, her look so far away she might be staring right into those 12 years old she and Percy once were. - We travelled across the country and went through hell together, literally, and when we came back… he was the person I trusted the most in the whole world.

"You were so _young_… Percy doesn't look like he can even hold a sword, even less…!"

"He couldn't, in fact. Before Chiron gave him Riptide, none of the swords here would balance in his hands, it was quite funny to see him trying to fight with them in training." the daughter of Athena laughed. "And yes, we were just kids, weren't we?" she let out a sigh.

"It's so weird to not actually know him. He may not be here but he's _everywhere._ Someone is always talking about when he did something with his sword, or when he screwed up in a mission but manage to make it right, or when the two of you argued about something so stupid no one could believe" Annabeth let out a laugh, as if she remembered every single one of those silly arguments. " I never knew someone's absence could be so loud…I almost expect to walk out of my cabin someday and see him standing in the training area."

"Me too." Annabeth smiled sadly, her right hand touching the necklace unconsciously. "Sometimes I turn around and start to tell him something before I remember."

" I am sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

" Don't worry. I hate when people avoid talking about him near me. It feel like he died." She shivered. "I always forgot that he's just a story to you."

"Almost like the gods when I didn't knew about all this." Piper indicated the whole camp. "Doesn't seem real sometimes, just an old legend."

"He's just a teenager, you know. He have friends, family, fears, nightmares. His mom call me everyday." Her grey eyes watered. "She makes small talk, ask about how I am doing… but she's desperate to hear that we have proof that he's alive. And around here, some people tend to think that we shouldn't worry that he's missing because he salved the Olympus. That's the thing about being a hero. After a while, everyone forgets that you are a human being."

"That's what happen to you too."

"What?"

"You said before that you know what others say about you. But I don't think you know everything they say. Just like him, you are everywhere, Annabeth. You are also a hero and you are the one who is here. I mean, we all look up to you, so it's a little terrifying for some of them to see you worried or hopeless. They can't see you only as a 'human being', because you are so much more than that. You are their strength."

Annabeth looked beyond Piper, to the camp grounds filled with demigods. She seemed sad, like she just realized she let every single one of them down.

"I don't think I can be anyone else's strength right now. It was all much easier with him. Being brave, strong. A battle is full of variables and as a daughter of Athena, I have to think about them all. The possibles outcomes, the enemies' weak spots… but Percy was my assurance. No matter what, I knew he was going to be by my side. Now, all I have is variables." Piper held her breath. How could anyone think that girl was weak? She was in her breaking point and was still standing, planning, hoping.

" Annabeth?" Jason came running from the training fields, stopping in front of the girls. He smiled to Piper and she felt her cheeks burning. " We need you down there. Can you come?"

The blond girl nodded and got up. Piper looked down at the photographs still in her hands.

" Can I keep this for today?" She asked before she could think about it. The blue box contained much more pictures and she wanted to see them all. It was inspiring to see them, all they've gone through and survived. It made her feel like she could do it too.

" Sure. Take good care of it for me." Annabeth smiled, jumping over from the porch to the ground. " I will lead a lesson later. Sword and dagger training. You should come."

" I will." The daughter of Aphrodite smiled, grateful. Jason winked and mouthed a 'see you later' and then they turned around, walking towards the amphitheater, where all the preparations for the mission were happening. She watched them go, leaning in the walls of the Big House and when they were out of sight, turned her attention to the box and the parts of Annabeth's past.

**A/N: I'm not sure I'm happy about the ending, and I may add other chapter later, but I will mark as completed. Thank you for reading and I'm sorry if there is anything grammatically incorrect, english is not my first language, and feel free to correct me. Reviews are really really welcomed :))**


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